In a February 17 resignation letter, James (Jim) Jones, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, stated that 89 “indiscriminate” firings in the Human Foods Program, including layoffs of employees with “highly technical expertise in nutrition, infant formula, food safety response,” would render his job to protect food safety “fruitless.”
Changes are coming to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with the recent confirmation of President Trump's nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) as Secretary, amid talks of major workforce reductions at HHS agencies including FDA and CDC.
Sara Brenner, M.D., M.P.H., a longtime FDA and federal government employee, has been appointed Acting Commissioner of the agency. She will lead the agency until the Senate confirms President Trump’s nomination for FDA Commissioner.
The Trump Administration has ordered U.S. public health agencies, such as CDC and FDA, to temporarily pause external communications, including scientific reports and health advisories, until further notice. Any messaging leaving an HHS agency must be approved by a presidential appointee.
The Federal Food Administration Act has been introduced to the U.S. Senate. The bill aims to remove responsibility for overseeing the U.S. food supply from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and give it to a newly created Federal Food Administration.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop an implementation plan for the Food Traceability Final Rule.
Eliminating redundancies, increasing efficiency, and cultivating a culture of collaboration were the main themes of a January 19 webinar featuring top U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials, hosted by Alliance for a Stronger FDA to discuss the agency’s proposed reorganization.
On November 13, 2023, the Alliance for a Stronger FDA hosted a webinar with James "Jim" Jones, the recently appointed Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), during which he discussed his priorities, plans, and approach to change at the agency. He provided expected timelines for specific initiatives, such as finalization of the Agricultural Water Rule and an officialized outline of the new Human Foods Program.
U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) have recently introduced the Food Safety Administration Act of 2022, a bill that would create a new Food Safety Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), shifting all U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food programs to the new administration.
